


Spirits and Beginnings

by inmydreams_itsallreal



Series: Promises [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, F/M, Flashbacks, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Healing, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Pining, Scars, Slow Burn, pretty much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:54:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25827796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmydreams_itsallreal/pseuds/inmydreams_itsallreal
Summary: Nanami has a... complicated past. And by complicated, she means that she has no past. A waterbender living in the heart of the Fire Nation surely raises some suspicion, let alone a waterbender with no recollection of her memories. Luckily, she has Zuko by her side to guide her through her struggle... Right?
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Promises [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874011
Comments: 20
Kudos: 36





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, wow! Another waterbending oc x zuko fic!   
> (That's what you're thinking right now; believe me, I thought the same thing.)  
> But give this one a chance- there's a very interesting reason for this character to be a waterbender, which you'll learn towards the end of book one!  
> This is a very different work from my usual posts, but with the resurgence in avatar, i wanted to give my favorite childhood (still favorite, of course) show some love- and what better way to do that than with a fic?

“Zuko, I’m here!” 11-year-old Nanami giggled as she ran through the vast garden. “Are you ready to play?”

Nanami slowed, catching her breath. “Koko, my dad said I could only play for a little while- where are you?” No answer.

Nanami stopped and looked around. Glistening leaves hung off of vibrant green vines which intertwined with the many red fences and rooftops that surrounded the palace’s courtyard. Panda lilies adorned the ground, swaying gently in the wind. The grass was soft beneath Nanami’s bare feet, and the wind rustled the leaves of the few trees which still stood tall and strong. The trees seemed old, and wise. The largest tree seemed to look down on her, judging her every move. Nanami was always careful to respect it.

She continued at a slow pace, calling for Zuko and keeping her eyes peeled. At last, Nanami reached the turtleduck pond, where she unsurprisingly spotted Zuko, sitting alone, hugging his knees close to his chest. He looked as though he was afraid he would fall apart if he let go. Nanami stepped closer. Zuko seemed not to have heard her approach. As she looked at him, she realized his eyes were red and puffy. His face was a light shade of crimson, and he was struggling to breathe. Nanami knelt down next to him and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. Zuko jumped.

“Nami- I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” he said, hastily wiping his eyes.

Nanami smiled gently. “Koko, it’s okay. What’s wrong? Is it Azula?”

Zuko shook his head. “No, no. It’s- my mom. She’s-“ He burst into tears at the mention of his mother.

Nanami wrapped an arm around Zuko’s shoulders, murmuring comforting nonsense to him like her father had done for her so many times before. Zuko’s sobs devolved into silent shudders. He leaned into Nanami and tried to take deep breaths.

Eventually, he calmed down enough to speak: “She’s gone.”

Wordlessly, Nanami pulled Zuko into a tight embrace. They stayed there until the sun fell, breathing synchronously.


	2. In Which Life Sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introductions, swimming, and an untimely death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theres a whoooole lotta exposition in this chapter and i sincerely apologize

Steam rose from the spout of the kettle. Nanami grabbed the handle of the kettle and a small wooden cup before making her way across the hall into a narrow room.

There, her father lay still, his ragged breathing the only sign that he was alive. Nanami set down the kettle and cup on a small table next to her father's bed.

“Hey, dad,” Nanami whispered. “The doctor’s coming today. He’s gonna make you better, okay?”

Nanami sat there waiting for a response that would never come. She sighed.

“I’m going down to the beach today. If you’re feeling better you can join me.”

Her father continued his shallow breaths. Nanami raised her hands and concentrated on the tea within the pot. Taking a deep breath, she slowly pulled the water through the spout and into the cup.

“Look, dad!” She said softly. “I’m getting better at my bending.”

Nanami knew it was against her father’s wishes for her to bend; a waterbender living in the Fire Nation probably wouldn’t go over so well, but she had a feeling her father would be proud of her progress nonetheless.

Nanami sat with her father for another few minutes in silence, before standing up and softly walking out of the room. She was worried. This illness had come on so suddenly and violently; she was afraid the doctor might not be able to do anything. Pushing that thought out of her mind, Nanami continued to the front door and out of the house.

It was a temperate day, with the perfect mixture of clouds and sun hanging in he sky. Nanami stayed on her front steps for a minute, taking in the sun's warm rays. She looked back at her house, a cozy one-floor house with a slanted black roof. It was the house they were given to be closer to the palace when her father had been promoted from soldier to palace guard. That was when she was 6, and when she met Prince Zuko.

_ She had been accompanying her father to the palace steps, holding his hand and chatting about anything and everything. They reached the grand front doors, and she began to turn away to make her way back home, when she saw a woman walking up the steps, accompanied by a little boy and an even smaller, but fierce little girl. _

_ Forgetting her manners, Nanami ran down the steps to meet them halfway. _

_ “Hi!” Nanami said to the boy. “My name’s Nanami. Wanna play?” _

_ The little boy looked taken aback. He looked up at the woman Nanami presumed to be his mother, who smiled kindly. _

_ “Go on,” She said to the boy, before turning to Nanami. “Zuko can show you the courtyard, Nanami. It’s beautiful at this time of year.” _

And so, every day she would accompany her father to the palace, walking with him inside making her way to the courtyard where Zuko would be waiting for her at the turtleduck pond.

Nanami considered visiting Zuko today, but remembered what he had told her yesterday; something about convincing his dad to sit in on an important war meeting.

“ _ I’m sure my father will let me in, _ ” he had said. “ _ After all, if I’m gonna be ruling this nation one day, shouldn’t I learn as much as I can? _ ”

Nanami made her way down the dirt path that stretched before her house and down a steep hill. She could see the ocean from here, a deep blue expanse of glistening waves. Just the sight of the ocean filled Nanami with joy; she had always felt at home in the ocean.

After 10 minutes, Nanami had reached the small, secluded beach that she had found once while exploring. It was surrounded by a number of overgrown bushes, making it impossible to see unless you were unless you were looking for it.

Kicking off her sandals, Nanami began wading into the cool water. The waves lapped at her exposed skin as she went deeper into the water. The scent of the salt water filled her nostrils with a sharp stinging sensation, invigorating her further. Nanami let her feet rise from the soft, sandy ocean floor and lay there, floating on her back, feeling at peace. She never seemed to stray far from shore, no matter how rough or gentle the waves became. 

An hour passed before Nanami sat up again, treading the water and looking at her reflection in the opaque surface. She stared at herself in disdain: her jet black hair was poorly cut, unevenly chopped off at the shoulders. With no mother around, Nanami had been cutting her own hair, without much care as to how she looked, only concerned with the practicality of it all. But she cared now; she cared every time she looked at her reflection. She knew she would never look like the other girls at school: striking blue eyes that were so out of place with the amber of the Fire Nation, a round face that made her seem 5 years younger, and, most noticeable and hated of all: her skin. Her olive skin was flawless on the left side of her body. But her right side was littered with large scars and burns, with not a single patch of skin visible, from her face down to her toes. It was as if someone had dipped Nanami’s right side in a bucket of sheer red paint, leaving her in long enough for her skin to become wrinkled and damaged. To Nanami, she looked half-human and half red, withering corpse. Her father never told her how she got these ugly scars. He only said there had been an accident, resulting in her half-ruined self.

She stared at her reflection in disdain before her eyes settled on the locket sitting on her chest: a small locket, with an intricately painted door with panda lilies adorning it. Inside, a pressed panda lily from the palace garden. It was a gift from Zuko for her 12th birthday, and she hadn’t taken it off since.

The sound of a ship’s horn snapped Nanami back to reality. She looked out across the water and saw a black warship pulling into the harbor near the palace. Nanami frowned. Yes, warships were common in the Fire Nation, but they usually docked near a military base. She wondered if Zuko had finished the war meeting- maybe even been assigned to a mission.

Forcing herself to be far more hopeful than she felt in the back of her mind, Nanami made her way back through the bushes and towards her house to change into dry clothes.

When she reached her house, however, she stopped dead in her tracks. The doctor who was supposed to be tending to her father stood on the front porch, conversing deeply with a man who Nanami knew to be the head of the palace guards: Admiral Geon.

Admiral Geon looked up when he heard Nanami’s footsteps, a grim expression on his face. He turned to her and stood tall, his arm raised in salute.

“It is my deepest regret to inform you that your father, General Chin-Hae, has passed-“

But Nanami didn’t hear the rest. The pounding in her ears drowned out all other sound, and she stood there, numb. Unfeeling. A knot of rage formed inside her chest, right in the middle of her lungs. She could feel the knot tightening like a coil. Branches of sorrow began twisting their way through her body, sharp and unforgiving, eventually reaching her mind. And the knot exploded. She collapsed in on herself. She began screaming, so hard that no sound came out. Her hands reached for her head, desperate to get rid of the sorrow poisoning her mind. Her vision went black as her body began moving of its own accord. She took off, not caring where she was going.

Nanami could hear a roaring of waves approaching from the ocean not far behind her, coming closer and closer.

Then, the feeling subsided, and she was left with nothing at all, a hollow shell. She looked up, and saw that she was in front of the palace doors. She drew in a ragged breath and turned to one of the guards that stood before the magnificent red entrance.

“Zuko-“ she started.

The guard shook his head and pointed towards the harbor- towards the warship she had seen earlier.

Without a second thought, she was racing down the palace steps and through the city below, not caring who she crashed into along the way.

It wasn’t long before she reached the docks, where she saw General Iroh ordering a soldier who was carrying an expensive-looking tsungj horn aboard the ship. Iroh looked away from the man, and his eyes met Nanami’s. His expression became grim, and he silently pointed up the gangplank.

Just now realizing the extent of her exhaustion, Nanami walked breathlessly aboard the ship, and saw her best friend of 7 years standing at the prow.

He turned when he heard her footsteps, a patch covering his left eye and a hardened expression adorning his face, which quickly softened as Nanami threw herself into his arms and began sobbing in earnest.

They stood there, no words exchanged, a feeling of silent understanding cutting through the humid air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> badly-written grief is my specialty <3  
> also i KNOOOOWWW the capital is in a volcano but this is my story and i says theres an ocean in the volcano dont ask how or why just know the ocean is there for expository purposes  
> ALSO also i literally say "not like other girls" SHUT UP I HATE IT TOO LMAO  
> much love <3


	3. In Which Iroh Is Always Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isolation, arguments, and a very wise uncle.

It’s been two weeks since Nanami’s world turned upside-down. Two weeks of sailing on lurching waves, of numb feelings, and of absolute isolation. 

It had taken some convincing for Zuko to allow Nanami to join him, but as soon as they had departed, not a word had been spoken between the two. They spent their time in their respective rooms, taking every meal locked in the small quarters they had learned to call home. For Nanami, this time alone was hell. She was completely and utterly alone, left to deal with every thought and every demon that pushed its way to the front of her mind. She was a shell of the once vibrant young girl that had blessed Zuko’s ears with laughter so frequently. 

And Zuko hadn’t made a single effort to coax her out of her room, or to comfort her, or to so much as look at her. Nothing. Every time they came to a stop, nobody came to fetch her; the only time she had left the ship in these two weeks was to join Zuko and Iroh at the Western Air Temple at the request of the retired General. 

\----

_“Destiny is a funny thing,” Iroh said, placing a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. Nanami watched as Zuko tensed, his knuckles turning white as his fists clenched impossibly tighter._

_Iroh continued, smiling. “You never know how things are going to work out. But if you keep an open mind, and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday.”_

_He snuck a glance back to Nanami, who regarded him with empty eyes. He sighed. “But for now, we must learn to open our hearts to ourselves before we open our hearts to others; being vulnerable is not a weakness, but a gift.”_

\----

Now, it seemed that not one person aboard this wretched ship even spared her a second glance. She was simply a shadow of the person she once was, blending effortlessly into the darkness surrounding her. 

Nanami’s only sources of comfort in these two weeks lay in her meager possessions. At night, in the light of the moon, Nanami would often take out her few belongings and just… be. No heavy thoughts, no tears, nothing. She would stare for hours on end at her two most prized possessions: a hairpiece her father had gifted her, and her locket which she had received from Zuko for her 12th birthday. There were no emotions that accompanied her interactions with these objects- or, there were, but Nanami found that the darkness filling her body pushed those emotions deep inside, suffocating them. And Nanami struggled to breathe as well.

\----

It was music night on the ship. A lively tune echoed down the ship’s metal corridors, the sound distorting into a minor key as it bounced off the walls of the winding hallways. 

The muffled singing suddenly became ten times as clear, jolting Nanami from her stupor. She hastily clasped her necklace back on as the door to her room opened, revealing a stout silhouette overshadowed by the torchlight in the hall. Nanami knew at once who it was, and she sighed, falling back onto her bed to let her head rest on the stiff pillow. 

“Zuko is worried about you, you know,” Iroh said, resting a hand on the doorframe. Nanami involuntarily tensed at the mention of Zuko, but she remained still, gazing up at the ceiling. And if Iroh had seen her head tilt slightly to listen better, he said nothing. 

“I know you’re worried about him as well.” Iroh stepped back, causing the flames of the torch on the wall behind him to flicker slightly. "I think it would do both of you a world of good to talk with one another.”

Nanami remained silent as Iroh departed, listening as his footsteps faded down the hall. Once the sound faded away, Nanami sat up. 

Zuko was worried about her? 

She scoffed. He had a funny way of showing it. 

She slid her legs over the side of the bed, stretching as she stood up. The joints in her back popped as she stood up straight for the first time in two weeks. It felt nice; a simple change in posture had Nanami feeling more… confident.

But with this newfound confidence came a feeling of rage that settled deep in Nanami’s gut. As she made her way out of her room, Nanami’s mind raced, anger bubbled up inside of her, and her head began to buzz. 

Soon enough, she found herself standing in front of a locked door. 

“Of course,” Nanami muttered. Of course it was locked; Zuko was too busy trying to capture the nonexistent Avatar, trying to restore his stupid honor. Nanami cracked her knuckles subconsciously, her face heating up as she tried her best to control her anger.

Taking a deep breath, Nanami resigned herself to pounding on the door, hoping to annoy Zuko out of his stupor. 

And sure enough, Nanami heard the lock click and the door was wrenched open by an irritated Zuko, his face adorned with the angry scar he had earned 2 weeks prior. Nanami’s hand remained raised, almost in shock. This was the first time she had looked Zuko in the eyes in weeks, one of the first times she had seen him without a bandage covering the wound on his face.

Zuko grabbed Nanami’s wrist, which remained suspended in front of the door. As soon as his fingers closed around her, jolts of electricity passed between them- mental or physical, Nanami did not know. 

“What do you want?” Zuko asked. Nanami could tell he was trying to be polite, but he was thoroughly annoyed.

“Your uncle thought it might be nice for us to cry about our trauma,” Nanami spat, yanking her wrist out of Zuko’s grip and brushing past him to sit on his bed. And though she would never admit it out loud, she missed the feeling of Zuko’s hand wrapped around her wrist. 

Zuko huffed, slamming the door shut and leaning against it, his arms crossed. “My uncle’s wrong.”  
Nanami crossed her arms as well, standing up to match Zuko’s ferocity. “Oh, yeah, because why the hell would you want to talk to your best friend? Two weeks of ignorance would be _so much_ _better_ than having to look at my ugly face, right?”  
Zuko stood up fully, stalking over to Nanami and pointing wildly at the left side of his face. “ _I had half my face blown off!”_

“ _So did I!”_

They were both yelling at this point. The music had stopped. 

“ _You’ve been ignoring me for_ two weeks. _I thought you would know better than that, considering that_ I _was the one who comforted you when_ your mom _died!”_ Nanami’s throat felt raw from yelling at this point, but she didn’t care. “ _I haven’t had_ anyone _to talk about my dad, who, I’m not sure if you’re aware, is_ six feet underground _right now! And I wasn’t there to say goodbye- I gave up_ everything _to come with you!”_

_“Nobody made you leave!”_ Zuko roared, his rough voice cracking as he strained his vocal chords. “ _You didn’t have to come!”_

“Yes, I did.” Nanami’s voice dropped to a raw whisper. A burning sensation introduced itself behind her eyes as tears traced her cheeks of their own volition.

There was a pregnant pause before Zuko spoke, the air stagnant with a cloud of grief. “What?”

Namami hugged herself tightly, staring at the ground as tears gathered on her chin. “I couldn’t lose you, too.”

\----

Iroh made his way through the corridors of the ship, humming to himself as he made his way to his nephew’s room to bring him a plate of leftovers. 

He reached the thick metal door and shifted the plate to his right hand, opening the door with his left.

The room was dark, and the torches in the hall provided the only light.

A sliver of torchlight crept through the open door, falling upon Zuko’s bed. 

Iroh peeked in, smiling, before shutting the door with a soft _click_.

Iroh told the guards stationed at the end of the hall to stay quiet, as to not wake his nephew. And if Nanami’s face had been buried in a fast-asleep Zuko’s chest, he didn’t mention it.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! this chapter was originally written very differently a couple months ago, but when i went back to edit and post, i realized that i brushed over nanami's grief and anger quite a lot. that being said, i have never experienced the loss of a family member. i have experienced trauma, but never grief. please tell me if my interpretations of nanami's feelings are out of line at all, and i'll do my best to fix it <3  
> ALSO also this chapter is kind of short lol my bad but like... i thought that was a good place to end it so deal with it  
> ALSO ALSO also i dont know how frequent updates will be, theyll be more frequent in the beginning as i get the ball rolling but will probably even out to like weekly or something  
> also, kudos and comments make me cry so please consider showing your support if you enjoy my work! love you!!!!


	4. In Which Zuko Cries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies, crying, and unwanted feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Zuko POV, as a treat

“I couldn’t lose you, too.”

Nanami’s words hit Zuko like a punch to the gut, before slowly retreating upwards to hang in the humid air. Not a word was spoken between the two; time seemed to stand still.

Zuko couldn’t move- he didn’t feel in control of his own body anymore. His muscles had become weak; he felt as though he were in a dream, desperately trying to escape some outlandish nightmare. But he was stuck. 

“Nami,” Zuko said finally, his mouth the only part of his body that he could bring himself to use. His lips were chapped, and they cracked with each syllable spoken. “I’m…  _ so sorry. _ ”

He chanced a look at Nanami, who had turned away. Her shoulders shook, and Zuko could hear her sharp breaths. 

He forced himself to stand then, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as he walked to stand directly behind Nanami. He raised his shaking hands, hesitating slightly, before gritting his teeth and gripping Nanami’s shoulders softly. 

Nanami’s shoulders tensed at the gentle contact, and Zuko quickly went to remove his hands from her.

But he was stopped by a soft hand, which reached back and brushed the tops of his fingers, searching for a hold. Zuko pushed the tips of his fingers against Nanami’s before sliding them to the side and interlacing their fingers together fully. Zuko relished in the contact, Nanami’s cold hands against his own warmth, her skin smooth yet calloused in places from her many reckless ventures over the years. 

The two stood there, chest to back, fingers interlocked, for what felt like an eternity. Zuko could no longer feel the shaking of Nanami’s shoulders, but a new sensation was introduced: the beating of his own heart. It thumped loudly against his ribcage, begging for freedom. But Zuko pushed his heart farther into his chest, ignoring the rushing of blood to his cheeks and the lightheadedness that came on faster than a gust of wind. Zuko breathed in deeply, his eyes now closed, trying to quell the storm now raging inside of him.

Zuko was rudely interrupted from this daydream, however, when his hand felt sudden cold. He opened his eyes abruptly, and saw the Nanami had let go of his hand. Zuko cursed under his breath. Had he gone too far?

Just as he was about to apologize for what felt like the millionth time that day, Nanami turned to face Zuko. She looked up at him, and Zuko took a moment to drink in her face, her beautiful face which he, stupidly, hadn’t bothered to look at in two weeks. As soon as their eyes met, a sharp pain rang out through the left side of Zuko’s chest and he let out a forceful breath he didn't know he’d been holding. Nanami’s already tearstained face crumpled at this, and she threw herself into Zuko’s arms, burying her face in his chest. 

Zuko stumbled for a moment before catching himself and returning Nanami’s embrace, holding so tight he thought he might never be able to let go. He let his face drop onto the top of Nanami’s head, her smooth black hair tickling his lips, his nose, his cheeks. He breathed deeply once again, taking in every bit of Nanami’s very being. How had he managed two weeks without her? Without his best friend? Tears were flowing freely now, clinging to Zuko’s rough skin and burning his cheeks. 

Nanami eventually pulled back, arms still wrapped around Zuko’s chest. Zuko reached up, wiping away a stray tear from Nanami’s red, blotchy cheek.

“I cried all over your robe,” Nanami whispered, smiling slightly. Zuko felt his own lip curl into a small grin. 

“I cried all over your hair,” He replied, his voice cracking. Nanami gave a soft laugh.

“Guess we’re even, then,” She said, rubbing the heel of her hand against her left eye. Zuko chuckled as well, relishing in the sound of Nanami’s laugh- the laugh he had sorely missed. The sound of her songlike voice rising up from her chest, the way the corners of her eyes creased, the way her nose scrunched up as her smile widened. It was perfect.  _ She  _ was perfect.

Once the laughter had died down, the exhaustion from the argument and sequential crying hit the pair at once. 

“It’s getting late,” Nanami said, letting go of Zuko. She sounded regretful. Immediately, Zuko’s body began to ache for Nanami’s embrace, and he shot out a hand as she turned to leave. Nanami turned to look at Zuko, a knowing smile gracing her face.

“Stay,” Zuko blurted, heat rising in his cheeks. Nanami’s eyes sparkled as she made her way to Zuko’s bed, Zuko in tow. 

“Goodnight,” Nanami muttered as she rested her head on Zuko’s chest, her face rising and falling along with Zuko’s breaths. Zuko waved a hand, extinguishing the candlelight, and ran a hand through Nanami’s hair. 

“Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be occasional Zuko POV's, but this is Nanami's story so only a few because i can.  
> sorry for the shorter chapter, i dont have an excuse i just felt like this was a good way to end it lmao  
> i'm very excited for the next chapter, which is a chapter i didn't originally write in my first draft of the story, but hopefully im able to do it justice- its gonna be a lot uhhhhh happier lmao  
> tysm for reading ily <3


	5. In Which Nanami Goes Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shopping, dancing, and sudden revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone can guess what the series title + the last line of the chapter are inspired by you will earn my love and affection

It had been a week since Nanami and Zuko’s argument and subsequent apologies, and Zuko could see Nanami slowly opening up once again. She talked more, spent time out on the deck of the ship, and smiled enough for Zuko’s heart to burst. There were, of course, nights where it seemed no progress had been made at all; nights spent coaching Nanami as she struggled to breathe, nights where Zuko could be found pulling a hysterical Nanami away from the ship’s railing. But Zuko was always there to keep her safe. To keep her alive.

Zuko, however, spent his free time alone, locked in his room; to the crew, he knew, this looked like normal, angsty teen brooding. But this wasn’t the case. He was terrified. Terrified of looking in a mirror and seeing that horrible, disfigured face staring back at him. The face that kept him up at night, the one that shunned him from any chances of a normal life. 

It was during one of Zuko’s brooding sessions that the ship gave a sudden lurch, sending Zuko off the side of his bed and onto the metal floor. 

Zuko scowled, jumping up and dusting himself off before wrenching the door to his cabin open.

“ _What’s going on_?” He spat at the nearest guard. 

The guard jumped at the sudden brashness before timidly replying. “We’ve docked, Prince Zuko.”

Docked? Zuko stepped back, knitting his eyebrows together. “What do you mean ‘docked?’ The Northern Air Temple’s still a couple weeks away.”

The guard gulped. “We… we were given orders to change course, my Prince. By General Iroh.”

Of _course_ his Uncle had to meddle in Zuko’s affairs. Zuko clenched his fists, smoke exiting his nostrils with every exhale. “And where exactly have we docked?”

“Gangkou City, Prince Zuko.” The guard looked positively terrified at this point. “A… a port city, on an island between the Northern Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom. Your Uncle wanted to pick up some supplies.”

Without another word, Zuko swept past the guard, flames now emitting from his fingertips. 

\----

“ _Why are we in Gangkou, Uncle?_ ” 

Iroh looked up, unperturbed, as Zuko slammed open the door to the bridge of the ship.

“I thought we needed more supplies,” He explained simply, before turning back to his game of Pai Sho with Nanami.

“We don’t need any more tea!”

Iroh gestured to Nanami. “Tea is not what I came here for- your friend didn’t pack before we left.”

Oh. Well, great- now Zuko felt guilty.

Iroh sipped his tea, eyes twinkling. “Besides, you can always look for the Avatar as you shop.”

“ _I’m_ not _shopping!”_ Zuko roared, his ferocity coming back tenfold. 

Nanami looked at him, her face a cartoonishly exaggerated expression of sorrow: eyes wide, cheeks puffed up, bottom lip stuck out. “You won’t come with me?”

Zuko held Nanami’s unwavering gaze for what felt like an hour before sighing defeatedly. “Fine. But we’re still looking for the Avatar.”

Nanami smiled, her eyes brightening instantly, and immediately Zuko’s anger ebbed from his body. 

\----

Zuko followed Nanami through the crowded streets of Gangkou, shoving away strangers that came too close to them.

“You don’t have to be so rude,” Nanami said, turning back to look at Zuko. “They’re just shopping.”

Zuko scowled. “Any one of them could be a threat!”

“Right… my knight in shining armor,” Nanami giggled. She faced forwards again, bright eyes wandering as the colorful city opened up around them. 

\----

Three. Hours. Three long, torturous hours of shopping. Zuko’s feet were on fire. His eyes began to shut of their own accord, and his arms ached from carrying the outlandish number of bags Nanami had bought in each store to carry her purchases. 

“Why aren’t you carrying these?” Zuko spat, though no real venom laced his words. “I’m a prince!”

Nanami smiled as she handed over a few coins to a stout man standing behind a stall filled with an assortment of soaps and other dumb stuff. 

“Thank you,” She said warmly to the man, before turning to face Zuko, basket resting on her hip. “But you’re my best friend, too. And everyone knows that best friends carry each other’s bags on shopping trips!”

Zuko frowned. “How would you know? I thought I was your only-”

“Shut up!” Nanami laughed, shoving him slightly. Zuko stumbled, the weight of the bags carrying his momentum backwards, as Nanami watched with a grin on her face. “Wait- do you hear that?”

Zuko finally managed to steady himself, and he stepped closer to Nanami. “Hear what?”

“Music… it’s coming from over there- look!” 

Zuko followed where Nanami’s finger was pointing, and, sure enough, a lively crowd had begun some sort of... peasant dance.

“One of the shopkeepers told me about this,” Nanami said excitedly, watching the dancers with glee. “It’s their annual spirit festival- they hold one on the first full moon of the year to ask the ocean and moon spirits to bless them with another year of calm seas.”

“I thought only the Water Tribes celebrated the ocean and moon spirits,” Zuko muttered, shifting his bags as his forearms began to burn.

“Cultures can spread, Koko. You have to stop seeing the world as static- change is happening all around us!”

“I don’t care,” Zuko huffed. 

Nanami grabbed Zuko’s wrist, causing a few bags to begin to slip from his grasp. He lunged forward to grab the bags as Nanami spoke.

“Come on!”

Zuko froze. “Wait, what?”

But before he could protest further, Zuko was being dragged down the street by Nanami, clutching onto the bags for dear life as he tripped over his own feet. 

They reached the center of the marketplace, where a large crowd was gathered in a circle. Lanterns were strung throughout the area on the rooftops of stalls that were surrounding the center. In the middle of the crowd a large space was cleared out, where a lively group was dancing joyfully, linking arms and switching partners in time to the music.

Nanami’s eyes sparkled as she elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, enraptured by the celebration. 

She turned to Zuko. “Let’s dance!”

There were a lot of things Zuko was willing to do for Nanami, but dancing was certainly not one of them. He shook his head, standing his ground even as Nanami’s face fell. 

“Go on without me,” Zuko said after a beat, nodding towards the dancers. Nanami immediately brightened up again, and after a quick squeeze of Zuko’s hand, she joined the fray.

Zuko watched as she melded seamlessly into the dance, her elated laugh ringing through the town square. Her hair whipped around her shoulders, leaving a few strands stuck to her lips. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes were shining brighter than any of the lanterns surrounding them. Nanami moved fluidly between partners, smiling widely at each one with her stunning grin. She was beautiful. 

And Zuko found himself falling even harder.

\----

Nanami grinned, out of breath, as the music came to a close. She bowed slightly to her last partner, a lanky boy who couldn’t be any older than she was, then made her way back to Zuko. He was standing in the crowd, arms laden with bags, looking extremely uncomfortable- just as she’d left him. But there was something off about him now. The way he looked at Nanami with those piercing amber eyes seemed to delve deeper than before. He seemed off-put, as though he had seen a ghost. But his face was growing redder by the second. Maybe it was a hot ghost.

Nanami grabbed Zuko’s hand as she passed by, dragging him through the crowd. “You seem tense. We’re gonna go drop off our bags and walk around a bit, okay?”

“I’m not tense!” Zuko huffed. Nanami smiled back at him as they emerged from the crowd and into the open streets. 

“I know you, Koko,” She said. “Besides, your face is as red as my scars. Now, come on- we’re gonna miss the sunset!”

\----

Nanami found herself leaning against Zuko as the two sat on a pier, Nanami’s feet dangling lazily over the edge and Zuko’s crossed tightly together. He sat like the spitting image of his father on the throne, so uptight and sullen. 

Nanami watched as the last sliver of sun dove into the ocean, leaving the world dark except for the bright moon now taking its turn in the sky. The moon’s light reflected on the surface of the water, creating glittery waves with bits of silver floating on top. 

“The ocean looks beautiful tonight,” Nanami said, gazing out at the vast expanse before her. “Doesn’t it?”

Zuko didn’t answer. Nanami looked up, and saw that he was staring up at the starry sky stubbornly. 

“Koko,” Nanami sang gently, nudging the uptight prince with her shoulder. “Did you hear me? Look-”

“I heard.” Zuko’s voice cut through his silence. 

Nanami sat up, frowning. “Then what’s the problem? It’s just water.”

Zuko clenched his jaw, a vein popping from his forehead as he stared pointedly at the sky. “It’s not just water.”

Nanami didn’t know how to respond to this odd answer. Instead, she looked down at the water below her feet, seeing her worried face reflected back in it’s opaque surface. 

Zuko spoke again- every word sounded pained. “It’s… what the water does. It makes me see… things.”

Nanami’s head shot back up at this to look wide-eyed at Zuko. “Like… hallucinations?”

Zuko shook his head quickly, his face growing red. “No! I… I don’t know how to say this without hurting your feelings.”

Nanami felt a sense of dread settle deep in the pit of her stomach. What in Agni’s name could he be talking about?

“Just say it. You know I’m here for you.”

Zuko sighed, clenching his fists. “It’s just- and don’t take this the wrong way- I’m afraid I’ll see my reflection. I hate seeing my scar. It’s ugly, and it’s terrifying to look at, and-”

He was cut short as Nanami reached up a hand to lightly brush her thumb over his scar. She smiled softly as Zuko’s eyes fluttered shut at the feather-light touch. 

“But it’s _okay,_ Koko. This might sound harsh, but you have to learn to live with your scars. Like I did.”

Zuko looked at Nanami, a deep sadness shining in his eyes. “Are you happy? With your scars?”

The question took Nanami by surprise, and she withdrew her hand from Zuko’s face to lean back on the palms of her hands. 

“No,” She sighed. “No, I’m not. I don’t know if I’ll ever be. But I make it through each day, and I wake up in the morning, and I don’t let my pain rule my life.” Nanami laughed, staring down at her scarred hand. “Scars suck. They really do- they’re sensitive, and they hurt for no reason, and they’re ugly as hell. Whatever… happened to me, whatever made me… _this,”_ She gestured to the right side of her body. “That wasn’t in my control. I didn’t ask to look like this, obviously. But _I’m_ the only one that decides how _I_ deal with it. And I choose strength. I choose to live, and live the way _I_ dictate. Not my scars, not the way people look at me, not whatever… cruel act of fate gave me these scars in the first place… Do you understand?”

Zuko drew in a shuddering breath. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

Nanami smiled, sitting up and wrapping her arm around Zuko’s shoulders squeezing him to her side tightly. “Good. Because that’s as deep as I’m willing to get today.”

Zuko cracked the slightest of smiles at this, and Nanami froze, gazing at his bittersweet grin. The outer corners of his eyes crinkled, his sharp cheekbones elevated the skin below his eyes to conceal his golden irises, and his right ear raised slightly as smile lines creased his face. 

Nanami stared, her eyes drinking in Zuko’s perfect smile. Oh. _Oh._

And suddenly, Nanami realized she was holding the world in her arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writer's block? we dont know her hkhfjksdhf whoops  
> a couple notes about this chapter:  
> 1\. nanami and zuko's thoughts about their scars are the same thoughts i had about my own scar for so many years. i still struggle with it sometimes, but like nanami said, i choose to not let it rule my life <3  
> 2\. if zuko shopping seems out of character, (thats because it is LMAOOO) i wrote this chapter with the ember island episode in mind, in which azula is curious to see what people would think of her without the title of princess. i thought zuko might want to explore this as well, and also he's just way too close with nanami to not let her go on a shopping spree lmao  
> 3\. did i literally use the chinese word for port/steal the name of an already-existing place bc i liked it? maybe shut up  
> 4\. i bumped up the rating to teen for my use of "hell" and occasional swearing in the tags just to be on the safe side lmaooo  
> 5\. KUDOS AND COMMENTS BRING ME JOY, SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO KAY FOR WRITING SUCH KIND COMMENTS ILY


	6. In Which Zuko Is Terrible At Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares, moonlight, and unspoken feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeheueheeueheheheee im a little evil gremlin i use a bad word heheeeuheueuhe >:)  
> if you knew me irl you'd know that i swear 24/7 but for some reason this chapter is the first time ive done so

Nanami had another nightmare that night. The same one she’d had since she was six years old, the one she had in times of helplessness and trauma. The dream that had her waking up in a cold sweat every time.

It always began the same: a happy scene- two little girls playing in the snow together. Matching blue eyes and olive skin, and identical smiles on their faces. One of the girls would manipulate the snow into different shapes while the other clapped gleefully. 

Then, black snow would begin to fall from the sky, coating the stark white ground with a thin spraying of dark stars. Everything was backwards, up was down, and the two little girls were screaming for their lives.

That was when Nanami woke, breathing heavily, the girls’ screams still ringing in her ears.

Her skin was clammy, and her hands were slightly shaking, gripping her bed sheets tightly. Nanami took a deep breath, sitting up and holding her head in her hands. She sat there in the cool glow of the moonlight for a while, her heartbeat slowly evening out. 

Nanami sighed again, clenching her hands into fists as they trembled. She needed air. 

\----

And so Nanami found herself sitting on a railing on the main deck of the ship, her feet dangling over the side as ocean spray tickled her skin. She gripped the railing tightly, though she knew the water below would catch her if she fell. It always did. 

The salt water from below mingled with the tears gliding down Nanami’s cheeks, irritating her skin. 

Footsteps broke the silence- familiar ones. Nanami didn’t turn around, but kept her face turned towards the waning moon.

“Can’t sleep?” Zuko asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn’t wait for a response, familiar with Nanami’s nonverbal tendencies when she was overwhelmed. “Me neither- bad dream.”

Nanami heard Zuko sigh before approaching her slowly, like she was some wild animal that would run away at the slightest movement. Two hands gripped her ribcage, gently pulling her off the railing and setting her on the ground, facing Zuko. Zuko did not let go of her.

Nanami looked up at Zuko’s face, the shadows created by the moon’s rays aging him years. She searched his golden eyes, seeing traces of red tinting the outer edges and a matte ring around them, signalling recent tears.

Automatically, Nanami reached up a hand to his face, resting her fingertips on his sharp right cheekbone, feeling calm enough to speak.

“Was it…” Nanami began to ask, but the rest of her sentence went unspoken- she knew.

Zuko breathed deeply through his nose, reaching up to rest his hand on top of Nanami’s. “Yeah.”

Nanami pulled their hands down from Zuko's face, intertwining their fingers together just below hip-level. 

“It’s only been two months. Healing takes time.”

Zuko looked at Nanami as she said this, worry creasing his brow. “What about you?”

“Same dream as always,” She replied, turning back towards the setting moon. She laughed slightly, letting go of Zuko’s hand and resting her forearms on the railing, staring at the horizon. “Huh. It _has_ been two months, hasn't it?”

She felt a hand on her shoulder as Zuko joined her at the railing. 

“Are you okay?” Zuko asked, a slight hesitance in his voice.

“You’ve been through worse,” Nanami replied shortly, unable to tell the truth- these past few weeks have been all about  _ her,  _ when her best friend had so much more to be upset about. 

_ What a terrible friend I’ve been. _

“Nami,” Zuko said again, bringing up his hand to gently tilt her chin to face him. Nanami’s breath hitched at the gentle contact. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Nanami stared into Zuko’s concerned eyes for a moment, before pulling her chin out of Zuko’s grasp, leaning heavily on the railing, and glaring at the foamy ocean below. “You got hurt, Koko. That’s  _ scary.  _ Yeah, it  _ sucks  _ that my dad d- that he’s gone, but you’ve been doing nothing but helping  _ me  _ these past two months. I haven’t been there for you at  _ all. _ ”

“Yes, you have,” Zuko whispered, resting a hand on Nanami’s forearm. “Every time you smiled, every time you laughed, you were helping me. I’d probably be some… heartless colonizer who bottles up his trauma and anger if you hadn’t come with me. You help me just by being who you are. And you aren’t yourself when you’re not okay.”

Nanami looked up at Zuko. “So I can’t be upset without ruining your day? Great, that makes me feel _so much better_.”

“Wait!” Zuko frantically waved his hands, shaking his head. “I… didn’t mean it like that. You… shit, let me think. I’m not good with this sort of stuff.”

Nanami couldn’t help but smile as she watched Zuko bury his face in his hands, a strange but cute habit of his. She found herself blushing as the two stood there, and she cursed herself. Ever since Nanami had come to the realization that, _surprise_ , she was head over heels for Zuko, she’d been finding herself looking at Zuko differently. And she didn’t want that- she wanted to see Zuko the same way she’d been seeing him for seven years now. She wanted familiarity, she wanted the comfort in knowing that her best friend would never leave her. And these strange new feelings could only result in a lonely, unhappy, unsuccessful life, dying in a ditch somewhere at the age of 20. Nope, Nanami would much rather stick with harboring secret, massive, so-in-love-it’s-physically-painful feelings towards Zuko. 

Nanami was shaken out of her reverie by a timid Zuko slowly uncovering his face, which had turned a shade darker under his hands. 

“Okay,” Zuko said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck subconsciously. “What I  _ mean  _ is that when you don’t talk about your feelings, you tend to… push them deep inside- all of them, not just the bad ones. So you refusing to let me help you usually means that I end up with an entire week to myself while you lock yourself in your room. Because you refuse to let yourself feel  _ anything.  _ You’ve always done this. And it hurts me to see you like that, because that’s not you.”

He took Nanami’s hand, playing with her fingers as he talked. “The Nanami I know is… brighter than the sun. You radiate happiness, and warmth, and love. Your smile and your laugh are contagious. And you’re  _ so, so  _ kind, and you always listen. You make me want to be a better person. You’re my light.”

_ And you’re mine,  _ Nanami’s brain supplied. But she said nothing. 

Zuko took a deep breath. “I…” But he stopped. Whatever he was trying to say couldn’t force itself past his lips.

“I know,” Nanami whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around Zuko and burying her face in his chest. Zuko returned her embrace after a moment’s hesitation, and the two stood there, bathing in the light of the moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES!!!  
> 1) late update bc hoooo boy ive had a busy week!!! and school is starting soon which sucks!!!!! so my upload schedule is still very much up in the air!!!!!!  
> 2) im so very bad at advancing the plot bc i live for tiny moments like this lmaooooo  
> 3) BUT ALSO plot advances a little because we get our first clue in regards to nanami's past ~OOOOOO~  
> 4) zuko's thinking habit is something i do irl and ive been told its cute so here it is lmao  
> 5) KUDOS AND COMMENTS MAKE ME SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY WITH JOY :)


	7. In Which We Meet A Totally Legitimate Airbender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Promising leads, skinny kids, and missed opportunities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you are gonna love/hate me for the end of this chapter <3

Dancing around a relationship was not Nanami’s favorite form of exercise. It was exhausting, having to pick your words carefully, having to plan every move, for an entire _year_. But Nanami knew it was for the best; a relationship comprised of two angsty teenagers grappling with more trauma than the average 14-year-old could only end in heartbreak.

In this past year of suppressed feelings, Nanami found herself sitting alone on the main deck more often than not. The very presence of the waves comforted her, almost called to her. 

She still spent time with Zuko, of course. But it was hard- she could feel his very spirit draining away with every failed attempt to find the Avatar. 

And it was one of these outings that Nanami found herself accompanying Zuko on, today marking a whole year having passed since their departure. 

Nanami bounced ahead of Zuko and his three soldiers, taking in her new surroundings. The small cliffside path they were currently traversing on led up from the beach to a small town ringed with dense trees. The town itself was bare- very clearly a poverty-stricken town. Wooden shacks on the verge of collapsing lined the dirt roads that kicked up dust with every movement. A few children played in the street, some shirtless. They were so thin Nanami could see their ribs. The other townsfolk seemed to be inside, save for the few sleeping in doorways as the summer heat beat down on the town.

“What information were we given?” Nanami heard Zuko ask one of the guards. 

“Old man caused a hurricane, apparently.”

“Apparently?” Zuko snapped. 

Nanami stopped, letting the guards pass in front of her, waiting for Zuko to catch up to her. She took his hand, giving him a “please-don’t-be-mean-to-this-poor-guard-i-thought-we-talked-about-this” look. Zuko sighed, but gripped her hand tighter, and the small group proceeded into the village.

\----

They found the house with ease, seeing as it was the only building in town that one could accurately describe as a house. A small, one-story house made of clay, but a house nonetheless. 

The guard who had spoken earlier (Rai, if memory served) knocked on the wooden door, which promptly fell off the hinges and landed with a crash before him, a cloud of dust flying up to meet his face. Nanami stifled a laugh as Rai coughed, stumbling away from the entrance to the house to let Zuko pass.

Zuko let go of Nanami’s hand, marching forward to enter the house. 

“By order of the Fire Nation, surrender yourself immediately!” He yelled into the dark interior. There was a pause, before the shuffling of feet was heard. A moment later, a small, frail old woman came into view, clutching the scarf wrapped around her neck with trembling hands.

“Please, take whatever you want,” She squeaked out. “Just don’t hurt my husband, I beg of you.”

Zuko opened his mouth to speak as his face went red, but was stopped short as Nanami shoved herself in front of him.

Nanami smiled kindly at the woman, who regarded her with terrified eyes. 

“He means no harm,” Nanami said gently. “He’s just a little… wound up at the moment.”

The woman paused for a moment before a small smile crept onto her face. “He sounds just like my Shui. Always working himself up over nothing.”

“This isn’t _nothing!_ ” Zuko cut in. Nanami put a hand on his chest, glaring at him, before turning back to the woman.

“My name’s Nanami,” She said. She gestured to Zuko, who had taken to crossing his arms and puffing out clouds of smoke through his nostrils. “That’s my friend, Zuko. We’re looking for the Avatar- we promise not to harm him.”

“Nanami,” The woman repeated. “What a beautiful name. I’m Liu- my husband, the man you’re looking for, is in the back garden. But I have to say, I don’t think he’s the one.”

Zuko stepped forward. “Just show us to him.”

Liu nodded. “Please, follow me.”

She turned away, Nanami beginning to follow, when the woman stopped again. She turned and glanced back at the guards warily.

Nanami looked to the guards as well. “Stay here.”

“What- you can’t do that!” Zuko protested, but a sharp elbow to the ribs shut him up. 

Together, Nanami and Zuko followed Liu through the small dusty house to a second wooden door. 

Liu paused in front of the door. “Shui can be… difficult to work with sometimes. I apologize ahead of time if he’s not… present.”

Before either of them could press the topic further, Liu opened the door with a prolonged creak, and gestured the two into the garden.

The garden itself was bare, just four patches of dirt inlaid with long divots, presumably futile attempts at growing food. Sitting on the ground before them was an old man dressed in rags.

Liu walked up to him, gently tapping the man Nanami assumed to be Shui on the shoulder. “Dear, you have guests.”

Shui looked up at the two teens; as soon as his eyes locked with Nanami’s, her heart sank. Wide, unblinking eyes, one harboring a milky white cataract, met her own. The cataract-free eye twitched slightly as a toothy grin spread across Shui’s face. This man was, quite frankly, a madman.

“Let’s just go,” Nanami whispered to Zuko. “We’ll look somewhere else.”  
Zuko pushed past her, marching towards Shui. He picked the man up by the collar of his shirt and brought Shui’s face close to his own.

“Airbend, old man,” He growled. “Do it, or I’ll burn this house down with you inside.”

Shui stared into Zuko’s eyes for a tense, prolonged minute, before… laughing. High-pitched laughter filled the air, interrupted only by the occasional snort as Zuko threw Shui to the ground in disgust.

Liu turned to Nanami, an apologetic look on her face. “The hurricane wasn’t his fault; he just has a habit of dancing in the rain. I’m terribly sorry.”

Zuko turned and glared at the woman, who froze. Nanami stood there, silently praying to Agni that Zuko wouldn’t harm Liu. And sure enough, Zuko seemed to sense Nanami’s plea. He took a deep breath, fingertips emitting smoke, before snapping back around and walking away, ponytail whipping along with the motion.

“It’s not him,” He muttered as he brushed past Nanami. “Come on.”

Nanami looked to Liu and bowed. “Thank you for your time.”

“Come by for tea anytime, dear,” Liu said with a smile. “And bring that handsome young man, if he’s in a better mood.”

Nanami blushed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she smiled, before turning and following Zuko back through the musty house, over the fallen front door, and out onto the dirt road.

“Back to the ship,” Zuko barked at the guards, who had been leaning lazily against a fence. They immediately jumped to attention and began following Zuko through the village and back down the cliffside, Nanami in tow.

\---

Once the motley crew had reached the beach, Zuko stopped. Nanami saw his hands clench into fists, his shoulders hunch, and his head bow.

“Leave us,” She commanded the guards, who looked from her, to Zuko, and back to her. “ _Now_!”

The three men jumped at Nanami’s sudden change in volume, and retreated back to the ship.

As soon as they had begun to board, Zuko’s face crumpled.

“ _Shit!_ ” He cried, dropping to the ground with his hands gripping his head. There, he sat on the sand, his knees tucked up to his chin.

Nanami stood behind him, watching as his shoulders began to shake. She sat down next to him, drawing her knees up to her chest as well.

The two sat there, the sun getting lower in the pink sky, until Zuko ran out of tears to cry. It was then that Nanami spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I miss my dad.” Nanami choked out the last word; this was the first time she’d mentioned him in a year. “I miss him so much.”

Silence.

“You were right- I _did_ bottle up my feelings. I bottled up myself. And I’m so, _so,_ sorry you had to deal with that. But I promise, I won’t ever leave you again.”

Still no response. Nanami looked up to see gentle waves lapping at the shore a few feet in front of them.

“Do you remember the last time we were at the beach?” She reached over to pull one of Zuko’s hands away from his head, lacing their fingers together. “Your mom took us to Ember Island.”

Zuko remained silent, so Nanami continued. “It was my tenth birthday. And you made it the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

Nanami saw Zuko’s ear perk up at this, and she shifted closer to Zuko until their sides were pressed together. Zuko leaned into her, his head resting on her shoulder.

“We spent all day at the beach,” Nanami said, cracking a grin. “Remember that man we saw that went wading fully clothed? That was the funniest thing I’d ever seen.”

“And then you went in fully clothed,” Zuko whispered, startling Nanami. “Because you wanted to know what it felt like.”

Nanami laughed softly. “It sucked- I was freezing for the rest of the day. But you hugged me and kept me warm. And… you told me you would always be there for me.”

Nanami’s breath hitched as Zuko sat up, his face so close to Nanami’s that their noses brushed against each other.

“I still have yet to break that promise,” Zuko whispered, his eyes flitting down to Nanami’s lips- Nanami’s unabashedly doing the same. 

Zuko moved impossibly closer to Nanami, his left hand going to cup her cheek, foreheads pressed together, lips millimeters apart, the world exploding into color- when Nanami spoke, breaking the spell.

“It’s getting late,” She breathed, face flushed and heart pounding out of her chest. “We should…”

“Yeah,” Zuko said, pulling back slightly from Nanami, an unreadable expression decorating his face. “Yeah, we should go.”

Zuko stood up, clearing his throat, and turned away from Nanami. Nanami stood as well, grabbing Zuko’s hand as her heart ached. 

“Zuko…” She began, regret flooding her insides.

“No,” Zuko interrupted, yanking his hand out of Nanami’s grasp. “That was my fault. I’m sorry.”

Nanami paused for a second before walking up to stand next to Zuko, hugging herself tightly. “You know this is a bad idea.”

“Yeah. I know.” Zuko hesitated before he spoke again. “But I’m going to wait for the day it’s not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. only a few more chapters before we're in canon territory!!  
> 2\. this chapter took longer because its a completely new chapter- not prewritten. but i will also be rewriting the majority of the stuff ive already written so basically every chapter will be taking a while <3  
> 3\. comments and kudos make me combust with happiness so :)  
> 4\. yes nanami pulled a debby ryan when talking to liu i know exactly what im doing and i have no dignity


	8. In Which They Settle For Less

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regrets, pai sho, and compromises.

Nanami sat in her room for the next week, dwelling on _that moment_ at the beach. On how desperately she had wanted to close that gap between them, cement their relationship, finally get what she had wanted. But instead, she had ruined everything. 

Love is strange; you never really know what you want until it’s gone. And once it’s gone, your love often increases tenfold, leaving you broken and alone, desperate to turn back the clock.

\----

“I screwed up, Iroh,” Nanami whispered as Iroh played a white lily tile. The two were sitting on the bridge of the ship playing Pai Sho at the General’s behest. She slid a jasmine tile forward, blinking back the burning feeling in her eyes.

Iroh smiled at Nanami. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“What?” Nanami immediately looked up.

Iroh sighed, taking a sip of his tea. “He misses you; won’t stop talking about you, in fact.”

“But- it’s only been a week,” Nanami spluttered. “How could he miss me that badly?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

\----

And so, Nanami found herself standing outside of Zuko’s quarters, bouncing on the balls of her feet, hand poised inches from the door, unable to knock. 

Things were bound to be awkward between the two after the almost-perfect-beach-kiss. What if Zuko thought she didn’t feel the same way? What if he’s already moved on? Spirits, what if he had a secret girlfriend hiding somewhere on the ship? Okay, maybe no invisible girlfriend- but it’s always a possibility.

Nanami stood there for the next hour, replaying _the beach moment_ in her head over and over and over, trying desperately to recall Zuko’s face, trying to read every little shift in expression, trying to see if she had somehow read the situation wrong. 

But, she had come to the conclusion that there had to be _something,_ right?

Screw it. 

With one last defiant bounce, Nanami flung open Zuko’s door ( _not locked. huh._ ) and marched inside. Zuko was standing at the back wall, polishing his prized dao swords. He rarely used them anymore, but Nanami had seen firsthand just how skilled he was when he would demonstrate his progress in the palace garden after lessons with Piandao. 

He looked up as soon as the door slammed open, hitting the wall with a metallic _bang._

“Nami?” 

Nanami ignored Zuko’s question, taking five determined strides to cross the room and come face to face with him. But then, she stopped.

They can’t. _Why not?_

They just can’t. 

The two stood there, so close you couldn’t stick a sheet of paper between them. Nanami looked up the two inches that separated their eyes, arms crossed behind her back, heart pounding wildly.

And then she closed the two-inch gap, standing on tiptoes, a gentle kiss placed on Zuko’s right cheek. Then, a matching one on his left, just below the scar tissue. A moment’s hesitation, and a more lingering kiss, left on his jawline. Not kisses meant for friends, but not quite kisses reserved for lovers, either; a compromise, a not-so-happy medium.

And, back to resting two inches below him.

“Is this okay?” Nanami heard herself whisper as she looked into Zuko’s wide eyes.

He breathed a response: “Yes.”

They can’t go any further.

But they could settle for this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> notes :)  
> 1\. im so so so sorry for the late update!!! my life has been... EXTREMELY BUSY with school starting- i literally wrote this chapter in the ten minute intervals between classes, which is the reason for the length as well- sorry about that!  
> 2\. as i mentioned before, this is a short chapter, but i really wanted to post something for you guys, so i hope you enjoyed it regardless!  
> 3\. alternate chapter title: in which the author copies that one scene from amelie (ITS TOO CUTE HOW COULD I NOT)  
> 4\. if u leave comments and kudos we r legally married <3


	9. In Which Nanami Sees A Cool Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unexplored feelings, quite a lot of mud, and cliffhangers.

_“Nami, please, come home.”_

_I can’t._

_“Please, Nami, I miss you.”_

Nanami sat up with a gasp, heart pounding wildly. That voice…

“Nami?” Zuko groaned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “You okay?”

“Huh?” Nanami glanced back down at Zuko distractedly, running her fingers through her hair. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine… just a bad dream.”

The voice had sounded so familiar, yet she had never heard it in her life- she was sure of that.

“No point in going back to sleep; the sun should be rising soon,” Zuko yawned, sitting up to look at Nanami.

The two had passed out in Zuko’s bed after hours upon hours of meaningless conversation- but maybe meaningless wasn’t the right word. Nanami treasured every second she spent with Zuko. 

Nanami blushed as she locked eyes with Zuko. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Zuko cracked a small smile.

This newfound intimacy was a strange feeling; desperate for more, yet knowing this was as far as they could go. But honestly, right now? Nanami was perfectly happy with the lines they had crossed and those they had not yet encountered. Sure, “boyfriend” would be a nice thing to know. But “almost” was okay, too.

\----

“Prince Zuko, we’ve docked near Juewong.”

Nanami looked up from her lunch to see Rai, the guard from their last excursion, standing in the doorway to the bridge where Nanami, Zuko, and Iroh were sitting.

Zuko squeezed Nanami’s hand briefly under the table before standing up, spine impossibly straight. “You and the others get ready. I’ll be down shortly.”

Rai nodded curtly before walking away, leaving the three alone once again. 

Nanami stood, dusting herself off. “Alright, let’s get moving.”

Zuko hesitated, glancing at Iroh, who stood as well. 

“I’ll go check on the guards,” Iroh said with a slight grimace, before turning and walking out of the room.

Nanami stared at Iroh’s retreating form, then turned back to Zuko, brow creased. “Is there a problem?”

Zuko shifted on his feet, unable to look Nanami in the eyes. “It’s just… things are _different_ now, Nami. I can’t-”

“Koko, things have barely changed. We both knew where this was going. That’s never stopped me from coming before.”

Zuko buried his face in his hands. “Hang on. I just…”

Nanami crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one hip, staring pointedly at Zuko. “What, Koko?”

“I’m scared.” The reply was muffled through Zuko’s hands, yet it hit Nanami just as hard.

“What?”

Zuko looked up slightly. His face was flushed a deep red, and he was blinking hard. “I just… I look at you, and I’m scared. Scared of how much I-”

He stopped, frozen. “- I can’t lose you, Nami.”

Nanami pulled Zuko’s hands fully away from his face, linking their fingers together. She looked up into Zuko’s eyes, which were tinged red on the inner corners. 

“Well,” She said, taking a shaky breath. “You won’t have to worry about that. I’m never leaving.”

Zuko gave a slight smile, which fell as Nanami jabbed a finger into his chest.

“But you can’t stop me from coming with you, understand?” She demanded, glaring into Zuko’s wide eyes. He nodded, and Nanami relaxed, smiling, and began to lead Zuko out of the room.

“On one condition,” Zuko said, letting go of Nanami’s hand and stopping in his tracks. “ _Be careful_.”

Nanami grinned playfully as she walked backwards out the door. “I can make no such promises.” 

And with that, she turned on her heel and bounced down the hall, blushing furiously.

\----

It was raining. Like, a _lot._ Soldiers slipped every which way on the muddy hillside, and a few were visibly shaking from the chill. Nanami, however, had bent a sort of “water umbrella” above her head, and soon enough she was skipping along, reveling in the torrent.

“So, what’s the deal with Juewong?” Nanami came up beside Zuko, who started at the sudden question.

“Oh, uh... it’s an island- obviously- and there’s supposed to be a spot where Avatar Szeto waterbent for the first time.”

Nanami’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Zuko nodded. “Figured it was as good a spot as any to look for the Avatar.” He paused, hesitating slightly, before adding, “And I thought you might like it.”

Nanami felt her face grow warm at this and she latched onto Zuko’s arm, burying her face in his shoulder. 

The group continued its march through the ankle-deep mud, the harsh wind pushing back against them. Nanami’s umbrella wasn’t doing much good at this point, either- the two were soaked to the bone. Not that Nanami minded- Zuko kept her warm.

Rai’s voice called from ahead, muffled slightly from the downpour of rain. “There it is!”

Nanami looked up immediately. There, at the edge of a cliff, was a rock, standing at knee-height. It was old- that, Nanami could tell, even through the blinding rain- cracked in places, some chunks close to their eventual leap into the water below, some evidently already gone. Vines slithered up from the muddy ground to envelop the stone. Yet, despite it’s derelict appearance, there was something… beautiful about it.

Nanami let her umbrella dissipate as she let go of Zuko, running as best she could through the mud and up to the stone, dropping to a crouch in front of it. 

Monumental waves crashed from below, spraying an already-drenched Nanami with a stinging, salty mist. She paid no mind to it, entranced by the stone and the scene surrounding it. Just being close to this spot where one of the most celebrated Avatars in the Fire Nation once stood, let alone _waterbent_ , sent a rush of adrenaline through her body. She could feel her blood coursing through her body, every sense increased tenfold. This feeling was… overwhelming. Otherworldly. But _powerful._

“Nami?” A voice cut through the rain. “Are you okay?”

Nanami looked around, blinking seawater out of her eyes. “Huh?”

Zuko was standing before her, holding out a hand. He repeated his question with a slight smile at Nanami’s bewilderment. “Are you okay?”

“Oh- yeah, I’m fine,” Nanami replied hastily, reaching for Zuko’s outstretched hand. 

But, just as their hands touched, a searing, white-hot pain shot through her head.

_“Please come home, Nami.”_

And before she knew it, she was weightless. Falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GET IT? CLIFFHANGER  
> anyways :)  
> 1\. IM SO SORRY FOR THE SPARSE UPDATES SCHOOL HAS BEEN KICKING MY ASS INTO ANOTHER DIMENSION  
> 2\. not sorry for the end of this chapter, though :)  
> 3\. comments and kudos make me cry and also scream but both out of joy


	10. In Which Zuko Goes For A Swim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Screams, lightning, and despair.

No. No. Nonononononononono. This is a dream. This has to be a dream. _Please say it’s a dream._

One minute, Nanami’s fingertips are lightly brushing against Zuko’s wrist. The next, she’s stumbling backwards, a loose chunk of cliff is crumbling below her feet, and she’s falling, Nanami’s falling, _Zuko’s light is falling._ Falling into the harsh waves below. Engulfed by the crashing sea, a look of pure terror in her eyes.

She was right there, right in front of him. _If only he had reacted a second sooner._

Next thing he knew, Zuko was attempting to follow a now unseen Nanami off the cliff. But he was stopped by two rough pairs of hands grabbing his arms, pulling him back from the edge.

He kicked and thrashed against the men dragging him down the muddy slope, but to no avail.

He heard screaming. His throat hurt. His head hurt. His heart hurt. 

Sound was muffled in this weird pocket of reality Zuko found himself in. He didn’t even notice the rain, or the mud, or the shouts of crewmates as he was dragged up the gangplank.

Someone was screaming. His throat felt raw. _Who was screaming?_

A familiar voice attempted to pierce the veil of distress enveloping Zuko, but with little success.

“Zuko-” 

_Iroh_. 

“- please stop-” 

_Who’s screaming?_

“- find her-” 

_Please stop._

“- promise.” 

_Promise. Nanami promised to stay by my side. Nanami loved to make promises. Nanami loved-_

_Nanami._

_His light. Gone._

No. No. She still had a chance. She has to be out there. _She has to be._

The screaming had stopped. Zuko’s throat hurt.

Zuko was made aware of the ship beginning its journey around the island by a slight jolt as it started up. Iroh was by his side, speaking in a low tone to him. But Zuko still couldn’t hear him. His blood pounded in his ears, a steady thrumming that signified his heart. His heart was still beating. Even if it felt like it had stopped. 

_Was Nanami’s heart still beating?_

Zuko was once again shaken out of his spiral when the ship stopped near the cliffside. Immediately, crew members began climbing into dinghies and lowering themselves into the icy water below. Iroh was barking orders, somehow making himself heard over the chaos. 

And Zuko was just standing there. He could be helping. He could save her.

Next thing he knew, Zuko was in the water.

\----

It was cold. Painfully cold. The icy water bit at Zuko’s skin, dug into his body, wrapped itself tightly around him. Suffocating him.

_Nanami._

That was all that kept him from succumbing to the dark unknown below him. All that kept him alive.

Zuko began to swim, pushing against his body which was screaming in pain. The weight of his armor multiplied tenfold in the water, but he pushed on.

When it came time to take a breath, the quiet, muted sounds of the ocean were broken as his head rose above the surface. It was absolute chaos. Rain poured down in sheets, lightning crashed overhead, crewmates shouted, and waves roared. Zuko gasped for breath, struggling to stay afloat, before diving back under the waves.

There were many rocks near the cliff. Thick, jagged, unforgiving rocks emerged from the hidden depths. But Nanami was not there. 

Zuko came up for another breath. She wasn’t there. She hadn’t been impaled, at least. Hadn’t met a gruesome end. She deserved better than that.

But she could have drowned. Zuko made to dive again, but found resistance. Something was pulling him up by the collar of his armor. 

He thrashed, looking for an escape, but there was none. A sharp pain met his back as it slid along the splintered edge of a dinghy, before he was dumped on the wooden floor. 

Zuko looked up, coughing up sea water and shaking furiously, to see Iroh sitting before him.

He looked hard at Zuko, a grim expression on his face. It was the same expression he bore after Lu Ten was killed. 

No. No. No.

_This can’t be happening._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 10 BABY!!!!!  
> 1\. this story has gone completely off the rails hahahaha i gotta write an entirely new section now but thats ok because im enjoying it :)  
> 2\. this story is getting JUICY now  
> 3\. kudos and comments make me so unbelievably happy <3


	11. In Which We Meet An Interesting Pair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Visions, blood, and tearstained introductions.

_ “Do you think we’ll be friends forever, Nami?” Zuko asked suddenly as he tossed another spray of breadcrumbs into the turtleduck pond.  _

_ “Forever and always,” Nanami replied matter-of-factly. She shoved Zuko playfully. “You’re stuck with me!” _

_ The two laughed, engaging in a short shoving match which quickly dissolved into fits of giggles. _

_ Turtleducks swarmed around the crumbs Zuko had thrown as the laughter died down, quacking and shoving one another out of the way. But there was no ill-intent in their actions. _

_ “I really do mean that, Koko,” Nanami said softly as she watched the turtleducks. “We’ll always be together, okay? Promise?” _

_ She held out a pinky finger. Zuko interlocked it with his own, smiling. _

_ “Promise.” _

_ Darkness. _

_ \---- _

_ “Come on, Nami!” A little girl was standing before her.  _

_ Nanami looked down to see that they were holding hands. Looking back up, however, Nanami realized that she could not see the girl’s face. Every time she tried to make out a face, a sharp static clouded over her eyes, filling her head. _

_ The girl tugged Nanami’s hand. “Nami, I wanna see you do the magic!” _

_ And Nanami found herself bending a small snowman in front of her, to the delight of the girl. _

_ The snowman was coated in a thin layer of black stars. _

_ Darkness. _

_ \---- _

_ “Wake up.” _

It was comfortable in this darkness.

_ “Wake up.” _

Why leave?

_ “Wake up.” _

White. Pure, striking white filled Nanami’s vision. It was blinding. She closed her eyes, seeking relief from the brightness.

The next sensation to fill Nanami’s body was pain. Everywhere. Snaking through her body, clawing her insides, swallowing her hole.

But then, she heard a voice.

“- can’t take her back!”

A male voice, cracking on every other word.

Then, a girl’s voice rang out. “And why not?”

“She’s Fire Nation!”

“You don’t know that!”

Nanami took a deep breath. It felt as though that was the first breath she had taken in years.

“ _ Did she just breathe?!”  _ The boy shrieked. 

“She’s alive!” 

Nanami felt a presence kneel beside her. 

“Hello?” It was the girl. “Hello? Are you alright?”

Nanami opened her mouth to speak. Her lips cracked, and her mouth felt as though it was stuffed with cotton. She slowly opened her eyes, wincing slightly at the bright light. It was cold.

The girl spoke up again, turning to speak to the boy behind her. “Sokka, get a blanket!” She turned back to Nanami. “You must be freezing. What were you doing in the water, anyways?”

The water? 

_ She reached for Zuko’s hand.  _

_ She was falling. _

And now she was here.

_ Zuko.  _

Nanami’s eyes snapped open. She sat up, breathing heavily. “Where-  _ where is he?” _

The girl next to Nanami reached for her, and Nanami flinched away, tears filling her dry eyes. They ran down her frozen cheeks, burning them.

“Please,” The girl said. “You’re hurt.”

She gestured to Nanami’s right side. 

“I’m not,” Nanami muttered, flexing her scarred hand before attempting to rise to her feet.  _ She had to find Zuko. _

But, Nanami had underestimated her weakness, and she fell to her knees as her legs gave out.  _ No. No, she had to find him. Zuko. Zuko. Zuko. _

“ _ Zuko!”  _ Nanami screamed, now sobbing in earnest. She tried to stand again, but fell down hard, a jagged edge of ice cutting across her jaw.

Bloodied, tearstained, and weakened, Nanami curled up on the cold, hard ground, shivering and crying. Blood and tears fell into the snow beneath her, mingling together in a convoluted dance.

_ Zuko. _

She felt a heavy weight drape over her, and assumed the boy, Sokka, had returned with a blanket.

“Now what?” Sokka spat at the girl. The girl did not answer. “Katara?”

Katara.

“It’s nothing,” Katara said quickly. “I just… thought I heard her say something.”

Nanami felt Sokka approach. She remained curled in on herself, whispering softly.

_ “Zuko, Zuko, Zuko, Zuko-” _

“And does ‘her’ have a name?” Sokka asked gruffly.

Nanami was nudged gently by Sokka’s foot. She remained silent.

“Leave her alone, Sokka,” Katara scolded. Her voice grew softer as she came closer to Nanami. “She looks like she’s been through a lot.”

Nanami broke at the gentle tone Katara used, and fresh tears streamed down her face. 

_ Zuko. Zuko. Zuko. _

“I’m fine,” Nanami choked out, still staring at the bloody snow. “I’m fine.”

_ He’ll be here soon. He’ll come get me. _

Sokka gave a short laugh. “‘Fine?’ Is that what we should call you?”

“Seriously, Sokka. Stop.” Katara knelt down next to Nanami. She smiled at Nanami. “Do you have a name?”

Nanami stared up at Katara for a moment, searching for any sign of malice. But there were none. Maybe it was Katara’s kindness, or Nanami’s delirious state, or Sokka’s incessant nudging, but Nanami didn’t feel the need to be uncooperative right now.

“Nanami.” Her name came out as a half-whisper, half-croak. Her throat hurt. “Nanami.”

_ Zuko. Zuko. Zuko. Where is he? _

“Nanami,” Katara repeated with a smile. “That’s a pretty name.”

\----   
_ “So, what did you say your name was again?” Prince Zuko asked timidly. The two were standing in the palace courtyard, Nanami staring in awe at the radiant flowers.  _

_ “Nanami,” She said softly as she observed a small bug land on a petal.  _

_ “Nanami,” Zuko repeated with a smile. “That’s a pretty name.” _

_ \---- _

Nanami shook violently as fresh tears streamed across her face. Her vision tunneled, slowly shrinking to a small pinprick on the horizon, before leaving her completely. The rest of her senses shortly followed, and soon she was back in the inky darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARE YOU AS EXCITED AS I AM?????  
> 1\. alternate title: in which the author actually advances the plot for once  
> 2\. very very very excited to introduce katara and sokka in this chapter!!!!! super excited for what's next, i really hope you are too!!!!  
> 3\. if you leave kudos and comments i will come to your house and kiss you


	12. In Which Nanami Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Voices, visions, and interrogations.

“Why are you upset, my dear?”

Nanami was back in the blinding white. Except… this was a different sort of white- more like a void than a landscape. She looked around for the source of the warm voice, but white enveloped her fully. 

“I thought you would be happy here.” The voice was coming from all around, yet no echo boomed afterward.

Nanami turned in a circle as she answered the voice, hoping to reach the source. “Well, I’m not- I don’t even know where ‘here’ is.”

The voice laughed. “My child, that’s not a question for me- that’s a question for your new friends.”

Heat rose in Nanami’s face. She stamped her foot, her voice rising in volume. “Why am I here?”

“You’ll know soon enough,” The voice admonished, its tone the same as a mother calming a short-tempered toddler. “Now, why don’t you go speak with your new friends? I’m sure they have questions for you, as well.”

And Nanami was awake.

Muted white and blue light met her eyes, much duller than had greeted her before. Nanami’s teeth chattered as her vision slowly returned to her.

Looking around, Nanami saw that she was in some sort of small room lined with fabrics. Animal skins littered the floor, and a couple of spears sat untouched in one corner. A small table sat next to the mat Nanami was lying on. Other than that, not much else populated the room.

And the cold- it was  _ freezing.  _ Much, much colder than any sort of extreme weather she’d experienced back in the Fire Nation. Yet, somehow, it felt familiar. 

Naname made to sit up, but a sharp stinging in her head kept her lying prone.

“I wouldn’t try to get up, if I were you,” A voice chided- Katara. “You’re still hurt.”

Nanami looked to the entrance of the room, where Katara was standing, leaning against the doorway.

“Hey,” Katara said as she moved into the room. A small smile pulled on the corners of her lips, but did not reach her eyes. “How’re you feeling?”   
Nanami lay there, staring at Katara, unable to move. Overwhelmed.

“Are you alright?” Katara asked, brow raised.

Nanami continued to stare, but shook her head slightly. It was too much work to use her voice right now.

Katara sighed. “Look- I’m here because I don’t… fully trust you.”

Propping herself up on her elbows, Nanami tilted her head slightly, waiting for Katara to continue.

And continue she did. “When we found you, the other day, you… said something- some _ one, _ I guess-” Katara sighed, covering her face with a gloved hand. “Listen- are you Fire Nation, or not?”

Nanami knitted her brow, taken aback by the blunt question.  _ What does being from the Fire Nation have to do with anything? Does it matter? Should I tell her? _ _   
_ Nanami’s internal interrogation was cut off as Katara spoke again, arms crossed. 

“Do you know Prince Zuko?”

Nanami gasped before she could stop herself, then proceeded to clap a hand over her mouth, as if that would fix anything. Her hand subconsciously inched up to her collarbone to brush a thumb over her panda lily locket.

Katara’s eyes narrowed as they glistened with tears. “The Fire Nation  _ took my mother away from me. _ ” An arm gestured haphazardly out to the side, knocking a wooden cup full of water to the ground. “ _ So I’ll ask one more time: are you here to kill me like you did my mother?” _

Nanami stared at Katara, dumbstruck. Then, she sat up, ignoring the pounding of fists against her skull. She looked down at herself to see that she was still in her own clothes- red halter top and red skirt; a dead giveaway. She looked to the spilled cup of water lying at Katara’s feet.

_ Maybe… _

With shaking hands, Nanami raised her arms in Katara’s direction. Katara flinched, shielding her face with her arms.

But no attack came. Nanami watched Katara as she slowly uncovered her head and gasped, and she smiled.

“You’re a waterbender?” Katara watched, mesmerized, as Nanami bent the ball of spilled water to sit between them. Katara’s distorted face stared through the veil of water.

Nanami nodded slightly, carefully depositing the water back on the ground and freezing it with a short flick of her index finger.

Katara knelt beside Nanami, still staring with wide eyes. “But, then… what are you doing dressed like a firebender? Why were you so worried about Zuko? What were you doing  in the water-”

Nanami doubled over as a blinding pain shot through her skull. She gritted her teeth, gasping for air. All she could see was white.

And then she felt a pair of hands resting gently on her shoulders, heard Katara’s voice pierce through the thick veil of pain.

“ _ Nanami?” _

It felt as though someone had jabbed a spear straight through the crown of her head. 

_ What  _ was  _ she doing in the water? The water. Falling. Zuko.  _

Katara’s voice snapped the spear in half, frantic as it was. “ _ Sokka!” _

Then, it was over. She was back, sitting in the small tent, with Katara kneeling beside her.

Nanami took deep, stuttering breaths, wiping away tears she had unknowingly shed.

“I’m okay,” She breathed, blinking away the echoing pain. “I’m okay.”

Katara gripped Nanami’s shoulders. “What happened?”

Nanami drew her knees up to her chest and sighed. “I… don’t know- I don’t think I’m ready to answer any more questions right now.”

Katara nodded. “That’s okay. You get some rest, alright? I’ll come check on you in a little bit, after Sokka and I go fishing.”

Nanami gave a small smile, and nodded. She felt so much… warmth right now.

Just then, Sokka burst into the tent, panting. “ _ What’s going on?” _

Katara stood after a second glance at Nanami. “Nothing-”

“She’s awake?” Sokka cut in before turning his attention to Nanami. “Nanami, right?”

She nodded. Katara moved to push Sokka out of the tent, muttering about how Nanami needed to rest, but Sokka stopped her. He moved into the tent and glared down at Nanami.

“So, you’re not Fire Nation? You don’t know Prince Zuko?”

Nanami’s locket burned against her skin as she answered. “No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. It's been a while, huh? I'm legitimately so, SO sorry for not updating for so long- I've been the busiest I've, like... EVER been. I really hope you guys still enjoy this story- I thought about it every minute I wasn't busy, and slowly built up a decent-enough chapter to post. I promise (ha, get it? like the series name?) to try and post more frequently- I should be able to update more with winter break coming up!  
> Also, comments and kudos make me SO, SO HAPPY!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! kudos and comments give me life, so id really appreciate them if you could show your support- ive been working on this story for 2 months before burning out around halfway through june, so i decided to post this story in the hopes that it would motivate me to continue writing it.  
>  thank you so much, love you!


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